First Son was reading Apologia Pro Vita Sua by St. John Henry Cardinal Newman in his senior year religion reading, and he was struggling a bit. It's challenging reading, but I noticed he was mostly hampered by a lack of context. I happened to be considering how to handle the readings when Kansas Dad and I had an evening out, which included a visit to a local bookstore. While perusing the shelves, I found this little biography of St. John Henry Newman and impulsively bought it.
This is not a scholarly biography, but the author had previously published two books about him, including an anthology of his letters. It reads almost like a story but is full of quotes from his published works and letters. It's far less challenging than reading the Apologia, but it is probably best suited for adults, high school students, or interested middle school students.
The title comes from a flower which grew outside Newman's rooms when he was a student at Oxford. The poem he wrote, Snapdragon, is printed at the end of the book.
In one of my favorite scenes, she describes how Newman created a little oratory in his rooms at Oxford after he became a fellow.
He hung up a picture of all the saints praying in Heaven. He would go into the oratory, straight from all the work and turmoil of his life, and his heart would lift at the sight of that perpetual adoration. 'Why! There you all are - still at it!' he would say, smiling, and then settle to his own prayer. (p. 69)
I cannot say whether this is the best biography of St. John Henry Newman. I enjoyed it very much, and it served its purpose. First Son took a break from the Apologia and read this book, three or four chapters a week. When he returned to the Apologia, he had a much better understanding of the events of Newman's life and the general religious context of England at that time. I intend to schedule it first for my three other children.
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